Claudia Sheinbaum Says Mexico Will Host Iran’s World Cup Team in Tijuana After U.S. Refusal

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday her government agreed to allow Iran’s national soccer team to stay in Mexico during the World Cup after the United States did not want the squad to remain in the country throughout the tournament.

Sheinbaum said, “We have no reason to deny them the possibility of staying in Mexico,” and the team’s base was moved from Arizona to the Mexican border city of Tijuana during the tournament, according to Mehdi Taj, head of Iran’s soccer federation.

Al Jazeera

FIFA confirmed the change and listed Iran’s base camp as Tijuana, while Iran’s participation in the June 11-July 19 tournament had been in question since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in late February.

Iran is scheduled to play its first two Group G matches in Los Angeles against New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21 before facing Egypt in Seattle on June 26, with the team still traveling into the United States on matchdays.

The BBC reported that FIFA later confirmed Iran’s training base will be at Centro Xoloitzcuintle in Tijuana, Mexico, after Iran had originally been given Tucson, Arizona as its World Cup base.

Sheinbaum framed the decision around U.S. reluctance to host the team overnight, telling reporters, “The United States doesn’t want the Iranian national team to stay overnight in the United States,” while also saying FIFA asked Mexico, “Can they stay overnight in Mexico?”

The BBC added that Sheinbaum said, “So they asked us: 'Can they stay overnight in Mexico?' And we said: 'Yes, no problem.' We have no problem,” and it reported that the BBC contacted the White House and Fifa for comment.

BBC

Mehdi Taj said the move would help avoid visa-related complications and allow the squad to travel directly to Mexico aboard Iran Air flights, and FIFA distributed base camp information for all 48 World Cup participants with Iran’s location listed as Tijuana.

Front Office Sports reported that FIFA confirmed Iran will hold its World Cup base camp in Mexico, not the U.S., and said Iran selected its base camp in Tucson, Arizona, shortly before the United States attacked the country.

The BBC also reported that Iran’s sports minister Ahmad Donyamali confirmed FIFA said the Iran squad would be given visas to play in the U.S. this summer, and quoted him saying, “There is no reason why our players should not receive visas.”

The dispute over where Iran would stay is tied to the broader uncertainty around Iran’s World Cup status, which NBC News said had been in question since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in late February.

“- Published Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum has agreed to allow Iran to be based in the country during the World Cup, claiming the US was unwilling to host them”

BBC

The BBC reported that the Iranian FA (FFIRI) presented FIFA with a list of 10 conditions for their participation, including allowing players, coaches and officials who have completed military service with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to receive visas.

BBC coverage also said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated Iran’s players will be welcome at the tournament but individuals with links to the IRGC could face entry restrictions, and it noted that Taj was among FFIRI officials turned away at the Canadian border before April’s FIFA annual congress in Vancouver.

In parallel, the U.S. State Department said in a statement on Monday that Donald Trump had made it clear the Iranian team was welcome to participate in the tournament, while the statement did not address where the team might stay.

With FIFA confirming Iran’s base camp at Centro Xoloitzcuintle in Tijuana and Iran scheduled to play New Zealand on June 15, Belgium on June 21, and Egypt on June 26, the next operational focus in the sources is visas and matchday access as the team prepares in Antalya, southern Turkey.